Improvement in fare-boxes



UNITED STATES PAT 'r QEEI.

CHARLES Gr. IMLAY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEAMERICAN CAR-FAREREGISTEB COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FARE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,676, dated March 9,1875 application filed i Notember 17, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. IMLAY, of Philadelphia, in thecounty ofPhiladelphia and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Fare- Boxesg and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description there; of, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawin gs, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to determine. the number of farescollected by conductors of street-cars; and the nature of my inventionconsists, principally, in an inclined tube or trough extendinglongitudinally through the street-car, and in the employment of balls ormarbles to .be dropped into said tube or trough, and roll through thesame into the receptacle at the lower end thereof, or into an alarm-box,and sound a bell therein for each fare collected by the conductor, aswill be hereinafter morefully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in.'whicl1Figure l is a perspective view of my invention, and Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same. i

A represents an inclined hollow tube, sup ported in suitable bracketswithin a streetrailroad car, which tube may pass through the car andextend over theco'nductors plat form. This end of the tube is closed,and the other end opens into a box, B, containing a bell, C, called analarm-box, the key of which will be in the keeping of the company.Openings a, with intervals between a them, are

made into the tube A, which openings may} be formed cup-shaped, asshown, and are of a certain size, adapted to the size of certain ballsor marbles, b, that are to be used. A tube may extend also across thecar, to receive balls representing the collection of halffares.

In the drawing the tube A is made cylindrical, and composed of alternatesections of glass and metal, and the openings a aremade in the glasssections; but I do not confine myself either to the shape or material ofthe tube, as it may be made of any material or.

combination of materials desired, and also of any shape. It may be madethree-sided, with a longitudinal slot in the top .or upper side for theadmission of the balls; ora simple trough may answer the same purpose.

In the constructionof this tube or trough I prefer to make certain partsthereof. of glass or other suitable transparent material, so that thepassengers can see the balls as they pass through the same.

For every fare collected the conductor is required to drop a ball ormarble, 12, into one or the other of the openings into the tube. Theball will follow the tube by its own gravity, and roll into thealarm-box, sounding the bell therein as it strikes the same. If onepassenger settles the fare for himself and.

others, an alarm is sounded for each by tubing balls for all, the sameas the bellpunch in similar cases.

This device is simple, cheap, and durable, and answers fully the purposefor which it is intended, namely, to prevent conductors defrauding thecompany.

A registering apparatus may be arranged within the alarmbox, to registerthe balls as.

they drop into the box. Balls of two sizes, or the same size balls intwo colors, may be used to denote full and half fares.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the tube A, made in sec-v tions of glass and metal,and adapted to be extended in an inclined position along the car, andhaving openings a in its side at suitable intervals, with the box B andalarm C therein, so that as balls are dropped into the openings theywill gravitate to the box and sound the alarm, all substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I,

have hereunto set my hand and seal this 14th day of November, 1874.

m I CHARLES Gr. IMLAY. [L.

Witnesses:

W. N. MARCUS, BENJAMIN KELLQGG.

